Muggle Movie Nights
by coonassblondie
Summary: After the Final Battle, Hermione is struck with an idea while living with her best friends. The trio return to Hogwarts for a little bit of normalcy with their own form of Disney magic.  Slightly OOC and slightly cracky.  There are a few small lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I do not own any of the Disney characters. No profit is being made from this story.

**Author's Notes:** Warning now that this is borderline crack, and naturally, just a bit OOC. There are mentions of sex between consenting adults in the last chapter. This was written for the Wizard Love 2011 exchange on LJ for ravyn2k. Hope everyone enjoys! Also, I saw this method used in a fic I read a while back, Liminal (If you get a chance, read it, it's very very good). For the videos, I'm going to put the links in the chapter, and you'll have to copy and paste, then take out the spaces. Happy reading!

After she found out how horrible his childhood had been, Hermione took it upon herself to catch Harry up on what it was like to really _be_ a child. She scoured the library looking for a particular spell. When she found the proper book after four days of searching, she did a little happy dance in the middle of the library, and let out an uncharacteristic squeal, causing Madam Pince to scowl and shush her. Blushing at the librarian's rare reprimand, she scurried out of the library and back to the Gryffindor common room to share what she had found.

Her first obstacle was getting her hands on a Pensieve. They were rare, expensive, and usually made especially for the person ordering. What's more, the only manufacturer in England, whose shop had previously been in the now decimated but recovering Diagon Alley, had fled when Voldemort came out in the open and started attacking. Harry pointed out that there were two that he was aware of, one in the Headmistress' office, and one in Snape's quarters. Hermione balked slightly at the prospect of asking Severus Snape for anything, much less the use of his Pensieve, for such a silly prospect. Harry was of the opinion that Snape would have a hard time refusing Hermione of anything, after saving his life right after the battle, but Hermione disagreed. The two hadn't parted on the best terms, after all. No, Headmistress McGonagall, who looked to Hermione as a surrogate daughter and favored pupil, would definitely be the better option.

* * *

><p>McGonagall listened patiently to Hermione's plan, and agreed that the idea had merit, though she had a few conditions in the interest of creating unity between the Houses. If she could keep everything age appropriate, open invitation to all houses, stay in the Great Hall and find a willing chaperone for each week, then she had free use of the Pensieve. Hermione learned that, technically, it belonged to the school, and could be used by anyone the Head deemed responsible. Hermione was practically beaming as she skipped down the circular stairs from the Headmistress' office, as that fine lady had agreed to be the first adult present. The next morning announcements went up on each house board that all students were welcome in the Great Hall on the first Friday evening in November for Muggle Movie Night.<p>

The idea had sparked in her mind after the final battle, when she brought Ron and Harry back to her parent's house for a bit of rest and recuperation away from the Wizarding world. Harry had been fascinated by the telly, explaining that during his summer holidays from school, he had rarely been welcome in the family room. His aunt and uncle preferred him out of sight and out of mind. Ron was fascinated by _all_ of the muggle appliances, and certainly by the moving stories on the screen. The Trio spent most of their summer holiday watching films, although Harry developed an unhealthy obsession with soap operas. When they discussed returning to Hogwarts, the three agreed that they should attempt to finish their schooling, if for no other reason than to attempt a bit of normalcy after a year on the run.

The first showing was scheduled in November because it was almost Halloween and the house-elves already had traditional festivities for that holiday planned. In an attempt to encourage all of the years of all of the houses to attend, Hermione picked a film she thought would appeal to the masses. She, Harry, Ron and Ginny all agreed that the title would be kept a secret between the four of them, so that everyone would be equally entertained. Hermione knew that the Muggleborns in the school would be appreciative of a small reminder of the home they had left, and she hoped that the wizarding-raised students would enjoy the new experience. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Ron so excited about a muggle invention, he reminded her of his father as his eyes lit up at the prospect of watching the "moving comic book story" again.

* * *

><p>The afternoon of the first showing, Hermione made her way to the kitchens to ask the house-elves if they could arrange snacks for the students that evening. She found that they were a lot more agreeable when she stopped demanding that they take pay for their work, and started respecting that their special kind of magic made their jobs fairly easy. When she tickled the pear in the portrait, Kreacher was the first elf to greet her.<p>

"What can Kreacher do for Miss Mya today?" The elderly elf asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, "Is Miss Mya needing a pick-me-up snack, or maybe some nice hot tea?"

"Tea would be lovely, thank you," Hermione replied to the wizened elf as she sat at the small circular table in the corner of the kitchen closest to the fireplace. She'd barely made herself comfortable with her cup of tea, and had just finished outlining her ideas for the evening with Kreacher when the resident Potions master stepped through the portrait.

"Good evening, Professor," Hermione smiled at the man when he looked around and caught her eye, "Would you like to join me for tea?"

"That would be acceptable, Miss Granger," Professor Snape replied as he accepted a cup of tea from a tiny little elf and settled in the chair across from Hermione. She placed her empty cup back on it's saucer and watched with no small amount of interest as it refilled itself with more hot tea. Raising the porcelain to blow on it, she asked,"

"How is your term going, Professor. Well, I hope…" Hermione drifted off when her unexpected companion simply arched a brow at her, causing her tummy to do a small flip. Hermione had a teeny-tiny, barely there fancy for her Potions professor, even though she had convinced herself she would endure many rounds of questioning from Ginny Weasley, a torture in and of itself, before admitting to anything. She pursed her lips and blew on her tea to cool it before taking a small sip of her drink, almost choking on the hot fluid when the deep timbre of Professor Snape's voice replied, almost amiably,

"It's going rather well, Miss Granger. Of course, being able to pawn the younger dunderheads off on Professor Slughorn has improved my course load incredibly. I wouldn't have bothered with the advanced classes if the Headmistress hadn't been so desperate, and I have plenty of time to pursue more personal interests." Severus raised his own tea cup in a slight gesture before finishing off his own tea.

Hermione couldn't have been more flabbergasted by the Professor's candidness. He'd always treated her as little more than a thorn in his side, and had hardly seemed appreciative, and certainly not bordering on friendly, the last time she found herself in his presence. She found herself curious as to his motives.

"Not that I don't appreciate the good conversation, Professor, but why are you being so agreeable all of a sudden? I seem to remember you telling me you - how did you put it? - 'never wanted to see my swotty little frizzy-haired know-it-all face ever again.' Right before you threw a vase at my head. To be honest, I was thoroughly surprised I was admitted into your N.E.W.T. course."

Severus couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's frankness, a Gryffindor trait if there ever was one. She knew the game well enough, but not his ultimate motive, which was one of curiosity. Yes, the Headmistress had threatened him with unemployment if he didn't admit her into his advanced classes. However, he'd discovered over the course of the term thus far that she was very talented, almost on the same level as himself, and certainly on a higher level than any of her classmates. He simply wanted to know more about the young woman the know-it-all chit had developed into since he'd seen her last. He cocked his head to the side, black eyes boring into her amber ones, deciding whether to come clean or come up with a cover story. Well, half-truths were still truths, weren't they?

"I must apologise for my previous behavior, Miss Granger, it was uncalled for. I was very distressed to find myself still alive after fully expecting to die in the war. I was an unhappy person, and for that I am sorry." Severus did his best to sound contrite, although he remembered at the time that throwing that particular vase, one of his father's few heirlooms, had felt very good. "I must confess I followed you to the kitchens when I saw you pass in the hall, hoping to catch you alone. I see lady fortune was with me tonight." He gave her a slight smile before reaching for a chocolate biscuit to nibble on. Chocolate was one of his few weaknesses, and he found himself owling Honeyduke's more and more often. If he wasn't careful, he would have a paunch before he knew it.

"I appreciate the apology, and the honesty, Professor," Hermione replied, flushing prettily, the apples of her cheeks a pretty pink. At the last sentence, her mind had conjured up a rather inappropriate scene of the two of them alone in his office, but she'd cut it off before she could get too distracted from the conversation at hand, "What is it that you needed to know that you needed me alone?"

"I'm curious about this event you have planned tonight, actually," Severus replied. "As I'm sure you know, I'm half-blood, and was raised muggle, so I'm familiar with the concept of cinemas and film, although I've never had time to see but a few. The last being sometime in the late seventies," here he smiled softly, lost in one of his few rare good memories, and continued, "I was curious how you were going to accomplish this feat."

At the implied question, Hermione's eyes lit up as she told him about the second half of her summer holiday and Ron's obsession with her film collection. She then told him about the spell she'd found and her adaptation of it, causing him to raise a brow in admiration. The young lady in front of him really was a lot more talented than he'd initially thought; adapting spells generally wasn't taught, much less attempted, until a Witch or Wizard's third year of mastery. He knew when she finally took her N.E.W.T's, and her scores came out, his colleagues would be banging her door down to offer apprenticeships. It was something to consider, although he'd never taken on an apprentice of his own and had no idea whether she was more than passably interested in Potions work.

Severus glanced at his watch, surprised to find out that an hour had already passed, and he still had papers to mark. He found himself suddenly reticent to leave the warm comfort of the kitchens and the hospitality of the elves, but he stood anyway, letting out a small sigh. Hermione stood also, brushing biscuit crumbs off her robe as she did so.

"Thank you for the company, Professor. I need to head to the Great Hall to put things in order. Will you be attending tonight?"

"I don't think so, Miss Granger, I have a lot of work to do. You can expect a fifth year prefect and all of the Slytherin first-years. They are rather excited, and I'll be happy when this whole event is over and things go back to as normal as they ever get."

"Oh, didn't the Headmistress tell the staff? She's given us permission to show films through the entire year, if this evening is successful." With that, Hermione patted Kreacher on his elderly head and pushed the portrait open to reveal an empty corridor. As she walked off, she called, "Have a good evening, Professor!" over her shoulder. Severus simply groaned in reply, hoping he would manage not to strangle the little chit before the end of the year. Then again, he reminded himself, it wasn't as if _his_ attendance was mandatory.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I do not own any of the Disney characters. No profit is being made from this story.

**Author's Notes:** Warning now that this is borderline crack, and naturally, just a bit OOC. There are mentions of sex between consenting adults in the last chapter. This was written for the Wizard Love 2011 exchange on LJ for ravyn2k. Hope everyone enjoys! Also, I saw this method used in a fic I read a while back, Liminal (If you get a chance, read it, it's very very good). For the videos, I'm going to put the links in the chapter, and you'll have to copy and paste, then take out the spaces. Happy reading!

Hermione glanced around the Great Hall, observing her handiwork. She had pushed the long House tables up against one wall, where the elves would place refreshments, and she had transfigured the benches into squishy chairs in lines, much like the muggle cinema she attended with her parents during summer hols. She'd just sat down at the staff table to catch her breath when the Headmistress came through the double doors, the school's Pensieve in her arms. She set it down lightly on the wooden table as she sat next to her pupil with a smile.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me what we are to be watching?" Minerva asked, for what had to be the hundredth time that week. She had been burning with curiosity ever since Hermione had approached her with the idea, and no less so now. She hoped that everything went off without a hitch, as these "Muggle Movie Nights", as the Golden Trio had taken to referring to their events, had the potential to create House unity and forge friendships. That goal was something her predecessor had been striving toward for years, and she had taken up the mantle with the position.

Hermione simply grinned secretively in response and tapped her nose with her index finger. "Sorry, Headmistress, you'll find out the same time as everyone else."

With that, students started trickling into the hall in twos and threes, helping themselves to treats from the table and finding their seats. After roughly forty-five minutes, Hermione glanced at her watch and cleared her throat as she cast a _Sonorous_ charm on herself and stood in front of her chair. She was incredibly happy to see that every chair in the room was full, and several of the smaller children were sitting on the floor in the front. There was still quite a bit of house division, as was evident by large groups of the same color ties or scarves gathered together. Hermione gave herself a mental shrug and started her speech; she couldn't _make_ people get along.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. Harry, Ron, Ginny and I had a hard time deciding which movie to show you tonight, but I think most of you will recognize the story we picked out. And for those of you that don't, see me afterwards and I can direct you to the correct book in the library. Enjoy the film, everyone!" Without further ado, Hermione conjured a large white screen and hung it on the wall in front of her fellow students, then place her wand to her temple to pull out a rather long string of memory. She had practiced pulling memories out of her head in Professor McGonagall's office, and was surprised at how pain-free the process was. It simply tickled, and one had to concentrate to get an entire memory.

The audience held their collective breath as they watched Hermione scrunch up her face and pull out an extremely long string of memory and slowly place it in the Pensieve. It seemed as if everyone let out their breath simultaneously as she flicked her wand and the memory fell into the swirling mist. Grinning happily, Hermione made a complicated motion with her wand, causing it to suck up the mist like a vacuum cleaner, then pointed it at the screen with the same complicated pattern, while thinking _projectus maxima_ as loudly as she could. She almost danced with glee as the particles flew out of her wand and hit the screen, causing it light up with beginning scenes of the film. As Hermione made herself comfortable in her chair, with her feet propped up on the staff table and a handful of chocolate biscuits, the flames in the sconces were magically lowered as the film began.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=BMpzKARYi28

As the film progressed, Hermione glanced over the crowd, and couldn't help but grin at the wide-eyed looks on some of the first and second years' faces. If she had to criticise anything, it was that everyone had to get up and make their way to the other side of the hall if they wanted more refreshments, missing parts of the story. As the Genie began to sing her favorite song from the movie, she caught Harry's eye across the room where he sat next to Ginny and Ron and smiled when he waved and gave her two thumbs up before he put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. Ron's eyes had yet to wander from the screen as he absentmindedly sipped from his butterbeer bottle. As much as she loved him, it was in a familial way, and she knew Ron would never be more to her than a sweet, sometimes annoying younger brother.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw

Hermione turned her attention back to the movie, smiling as she watched McGonagall's reactions out of the corner of her eye. The older lady was engrossed in the story, leaning forward over the table, resting her head on one hand. If Hermione was surprised by the casual gesture, she kept it to herself as she watched the characters float about on a magic carpet and sing. She sighed gently, wondering if she would ever meet a prince of her own. She was slightly amused, however, by the numerous feminine sighs she could hear coming from the audience.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=hZ1Rb9hC4JY

As the show came to an end, Hermione noticed that several of the younger students had at some point drifted off to sleep. She would have to find some way of accommodating those who weren't used to staying up so late before the next showing. These few slight bumps considered, Hermione considered the event to be a success, as did the Headmistress if her smile and Dumbledore-esque twinkle were anything to go by.

However, as it was already November and the winter break was approaching, there wouldn't be another chance to have an event until close to spring break. The following Monday morning, Hermione visited the Headmistress in her office as they both went over their respective calendars and agreed that the next film would be shown the Friday evening before Easter. As Hermione left the office, Minerva shared a knowing look with Albus' portrait, as they both knew that she always spent the Easter holiday with her niece in London. In fact, almost all of the staff went home to visit their extended families in the spring, save one.

* * *

><p>Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he racked his brain, trying to come up with a valid excuse, <em>any<em> excuse, really, to avoid what the Headmistress was asking of him. Minerva patiently awaited his reply, the slightly smug look on her face proving that no matter what he came up with, she would argue him down. Releasing the cartilage that had started to ache at the prospect of spending his evening with a large group of dunderheads, he nodded slightly to show his acquiescence.

Minerva released the tension in her shoulders in relief. She had expected more of an argument from him, and knew he would eventually come up with some sort of compensation at her expense. She spoke as she straightened her traveling cloak.

"Thank you, Severus. I promised my niece I would spend Easter holiday with her, and Miss Granger would have been so disappointed if she couldn't have her gathering for the younger students, especially after waiting so long."

Severus, who was now in the process of pouring himself a finger of firewhiskey, nodded shortly without looking up. As Professor McGonagall shut the door to Snape's quarters, she smiled when she heard him softly reply,

"I shall keep my word, Minerva."

* * *

><p>The following Friday, Hermione made her way to the kitchen yet again to arrange snacks for her fellow students; the elves were more than happy to accommodate her. She thanked them and made her way to the Great Hall to clear out the House tables. The Potions master fell into step with her in the main foyer.<p>

"What brings you down here this evening, Professor?" Hermione asked the dour looking man, who was now more smirking than scowling at her.

"The Headmistress has asked that I take over her chaperoning duties this evening," he replied shortly. "Although I was told the festivities weren't to start until dinner-time."

_Only Snape can make the idea of a party sound nasty_, Hermione thought to herself with a slight grimace. She pasted a smile on her face as they fell into step; her mother had always told her she would catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

"The movie is set during dinner, but I need to do a bit of rearranging first. I don't suppose you would be willing to help?" Hermione asked in her cheeriest voice. This only seemed to irritate her professor more, but he maintained his steady composure.

* * *

><p>Severus resisted the urge to scowl and turn back toward his private quarters, but a small voice in the back of his head (the one he used to believe to be his conscience and sounded a lot like Albus) reminded him that he'd given his word to Minerva. If he were honest with himself, spending the evening with Miss Granger was not an unappealing venture. He would have preferred it be the two of them, and gladly given up the company of every dunderheaded child on Hogwarts' roster. For Hermione's little gatherings had gone over wonderfully, even in Slytherin house, where the first-years had been constantly trying to guess what the next "moving story" was to be.<p>

Having been raised in a Muggle household, Severus was familiar with cinematics, although he was grown before he saw his first film on a big screen. Between their sixth and seventh year, he and Lily had called a truce just long enough to go see a box office smash by the name of Star Wars. Since that time, his Potions work, then teaching, had eaten up most of his time. He'd seen a few films since, during his summer holidays in a desperate attempt to leave his depressing abode in Spinner's End, but nothing like what his students were so eagerly looking forward to. The name of the movie was something the Golden Trio always kept close to the vest, so, if he had to, Severus had to admit he was curious.

* * *

><p>Hermione was a bit surprised that Snape had agreed to accompany her this evening, but she tried not to let it show. She wondered briefly why he was so willing to help out this week, but chalked it up to the Headmistress blackmailing him into it. Hermione didn't exactly mind, she'd always had a small measure of respect for the man helping her banish furniture, and lately she'd found that she was giving into girlish fantasies involving his voice and fathomless eyes. Shaking off the slight feeling of embarrassment, she made herself comfortable at the head table where she had again placed the school's pensieve.<p>

She watched, eyes bright as the students starting wandering in, the Prefects helping the younger students find seats close the front of the hall, where she'd conjured the large white screen. Every time someone would get settled into their respective bean bag chair, a house elf would apparate next to them with two bowls: one full of popcorn and the other full of their favorite sweet, and a bottle of pumpkin juice. Hermione grinned and waved when she saw Harry, Ron and Ginny choose seats in the back of the hall, each accepting their own popcorn and drinks from Kreacher.

Her grin got even wider when she saw the Professor roll his eyes and sigh. If she had any nerve, she thought wryly to herself, she might accuse him of jealousy. Deciding she wanted to avoid a thorough hexing, she instead pointed her wand at her temple and started pulling out the long strand of memory. Having seen this particular film dozens of times, she brought it easily to the forefront of her mind. She repeated the same process as the previous showing and the torches were again magically lowered as the film began.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=EkjoFshkyPs

Severus found himself unable to look away from the screen. He thanked whatever Deity was out there that they students seemed just encompassed in the tale. He found himself identifying with the villain, and he wondered briefly if Potter found himself doing the same with the young king. After all, who wouldn't want to run away from their responsibilities?

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=U6vLAa-kylM

Severus snuck a peek at where Potter was sitting with the Weasley girl during the scene of Simba speaking with his deceased father, and was surprised to find tear-tracks running down the young man's cheeks, glinting silver in the low torchlight. A small stab of what might be considered pity stabbed him in the chest. Feeling as if he were intruding upon a private moment, he turned toward his companion, to find her smiling sadly at him. She reached under the table and briefly squeezed his hand before releasing it. The gesture should have been considered impertinent, but he found it oddly comforting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I do not own any of the Disney characters. No profit is being made from this story.

**Author's Notes:** Warning now that this is borderline crack, and naturally, just a bit OOC. There are mentions of sex between consenting adults in the last chapter. This was written for the Wizard Love 2011 exchange on LJ for ravyn2k. Hope everyone enjoys! Also, I saw this method used in a fic I read a while back, Liminal (If you get a chance, read it, it's very very good). For the videos, I'm going to put the links in the chapter, and you'll have to copy and paste, then take out the spaces. Happy reading!

When the lights were raised, Hermione stood and stretched. She turned toward the audience and shot sparks from the end of her wand, attracting the attention of the room.

"Thank you for coming, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this week's movie." When she received several enthusiastic nods and grins, she continued. "In honor of the holiday, the Headmistress has given us permission for an extra showing Wednesday evening at the same time as usual. Before you get too excited," she cleared her throat to attract the attention of some of the rowdier younger students, "I will admit the extra showing is a bit, well, girly." Hermione grinned at the sounds of groaning and the sight of Harry shaking his head indulgently.

"But, I do ask you young gentleman to keep an open mind and give it a chance. You might discover something you like." With that said, Hermione stepped down off of her chair, using the Professor's proffered arm for support, pleasantly surprised at the strong muscles she could feel under the soft linen of his shirt. Hermione blushed slightly at the contact and turned away from the man in question as she set about righting the Hall's furniture so that it would be in order in time for the next morning's breakfast. When she was finished, she was surprised to find Snape standing in the doorway, his cloak hung over one arm and his shirt sleeves rolled up.

"I thought everyone had gone to bed," Hermione babbled as she replaced the memory in her head and picked up the pensieve. She was again surprised at how light it was for such a large stone bowl. She found herself looking forward to learning such focused and large featherweight charms.

"I thought I might escort you to the Headmistress' office before I do my patrols," Severus replied as if he himself was surprised to find himself still in the Hall. The two walked to the Head's office in a silence that was unusual in it's comfort. When they reached the stone gargoyle, Hermione was slightly startled when he softly stated the password from just behind her. More than ready for the peace and quiet of her room, Hermione made a quick job of running up the revolving staircase to put the pensieve away and back down again. She was surprised to find the Professor still waiting for her, but quickly hid her surprise behind a yawn.

"I suppose you are tired, Miss Granger?" Hermione nodded slightly as the pair set off toward Gryffindor tower. She spoke her thoughts, her fatigue settling in and blurring the filter between her brain and her mouth.

"Yes, I am," she replied with another yawn, "but I love doing this for the younger students. It's a good way for them to make friends. I remember how lonely I was before I made friends with Harry and Ron."

"Ah, yes, the remainder of the so-called Golden Trio," Snape sneered in response. "You would have been better off without them. You certainly would have been in less trouble."

"Probably," Hermione conceded with a slight grimace, "but I hope my running with the boys did _some_ good. I was able to find you, after all." Hermione gave a pointed glance to the scar on his neck before starting to walk faster. She was brought to a stop by a firm, yet gentle hand on her arm.

"I have already offered my gratitude, Hermione. I'm not sure what else it is that you want from me."

Hermione was slightly taken aback by his use of her given name. It wasn't the first time he'd addressed her so, but the happenstance was rare. She hid her surprise behind a grimace as she replied, "Oh yes, while you were delirious from blood replenishing and pain potions and didn't know who I was. If I recall correctly, once you established your caregiver, you threw a temper tantrum worthy of a child. I'll not have that happen again, Severus."

"Then I must offer my apologies, and ask again. What, exactly, is it you want of me, if not my gratitude? A life debt?"

Hermione gave a harsh laugh as she shook her head at him, and looked up at him, her eyes meeting his as she quietly stated "I want what I've always wanted for you." She broke his gaze and stared at the floor as her cheeks flushed pink. Her shoulders tensed briefly, and she looked up at him, a fierce determination now in her eyes as she stood on her tip toes. For a wild moment Severus thought she might snog him, but she tilted her mouth to his ear and whispered, "I want you to _live_."

Hermione turned and walked off in the direction of her dormitory, leaving the Professor standing in his shirtsleeves, staring at the spot she'd just occupied, heart pounding in his chest, as if to remind him of his mortal state.

* * *

><p>The following Tuesday night, Severus paced his quarters, cursing Minerva six ways from Sunday. A quick floo call had confirmed his suspicion that he and Hagrid were the only employed adults on the castle grounds. He was already aware Hagrid was in the forest hunting Billywigs for Monday's class.<p>

He stopped pacing long enough to pour a shot of what he'd deemed his emergency stash of firewhiskey. This particular stash had been disappearing at an alarming rate since his conversation with Hermione. He couldn't quite place his thumb on when she'd become Hermione to him, but he knew it was before he had to see her in Advance Potions three times a week. Thankfully, the N.E.W.T level classes were designed to be performed mostly solo, and they'd had very little interaction in class. In fact, they'd had little interaction at all this term until he'd had a case of temporary insanity and decided to accompany her back to her dormitory. He flushed slightly as he recalled standing in the corridor gaping like an idiot at thin air for a solid minute, and he threw his firewhiskey into the back of his throat in order to drown the memory of his foolishness.

Severus made his way to his bed, stripping to nothing as he went. He knew the house elves would pick up and launder his clothes in the night. As he lay staring at the ceiling, he ran his hand down his stomach and palmed his cock, picturing a heart-shaped face and honey-brown eyes as he brought himself to completion. He cast a wand-less cleaning charm before drifting off to sleep. Just before giving into the sandman, Severus smiled slightly as he heard Hermione's voice telling him to live.

Across the castle, in the Gryffindor "Eighth Year" quarters, Hermione had the room to herself. She'd initially hoped that her former roommates would return to repeat their seventh year, but she wasn't surprised when they didn't. She didn't blame them for not wanting to return to the location of a hellish year so soon. She used the private space to her advantage, using it as a quiet place to escape from the hectic nature of the common room.

Tonight, she lay on her back in her bed, staring up at the canopy, wondering whether Severus would show up the following night, or simply leave her to watch the younger students on her own. She was more than equal to the task of caretaking, but she found Severus' image invading her thoughts more and more often, especially his eyes. As she pictured those unfathomable black pools, her hand wandered to her breast under her camisole to gently twist and pull at her nipple.

Hermione envisioned his hands running down her sides and across her abdomen as she followed the trail with her own hand, pushing her knickers down as she went. She tossed them in the general direction of the hamper as she bent her knees and spread her legs, giving herself access to her nether region. She dipped her middle finger lightly into her slit, swirling the bit of slippery fluid she found there, using it to lubricate her clit. She rubbed herself off slowly, eyes closed as she pictured Severus, shirtless, hovering above her. She brought herself to a shivering orgasm, and after whispering a mild cleansing charm, she fell asleep to dream of black eyes.

* * *

><p>Wednesday evening found Severus pacing the entrance hall, waiting impatiently for the young woman who had overtaken his dreams and fantasies. He was going to speak with her tonight, but he was having a difficult time coming up with a plan of action. Every time he considered meeting her face to face, his throat went dry, his pulse began to race, his thoughts broke into fragments and a feeling of warmth came over him. He hadn't felt any of these things in over a decade. If this is what living felt like, he thought to himself, he could die a happy man.<p>

In reality, it was only a few minutes before Hermione came toward him from the Head's office, carrying the pensieve in front of her carefully. Stepping forward to help, he took the stone basin from her and was rewarded with a smile that made his chest ache in the most unusual way.

"Thank you, Professor, although it's more awkward than heavy. Would you set that on the staff table while I prepare the furniture?"

As Severus carefully set the pensieve down on the large wooden table where he and his companion would be seated, he was stuck with a sudden inspiring thought.

"Miss Granger, if you sat the N.E.W.T. exams today, you would blow them out of the water, so to speak."

Hermione looked up from the middle of the room where she was conjuring beanbags long enough to blush slightly and reply, "As likely as that scenario may be, I've already stuck it out this long. I should probably finish the term and receive my diploma. Besides, Harry would certainly outscore me in Defense."

"Mr. Potter aside, it is my opinion, as well as most of the staff, that you have already learned everything there is to be garnered here, and then some," Severus countered, flicking his wand at the doors to the Great Hall, propping them open for the students that would be wandering in within the next few minutes.

"What are you getting at, Professor?" Hermione asked, a bemused smile on her face as she conjured her large white screen.

"Hermione," He bit back a grin when her head shot up, her eyes widening in surprise. "I stopped being your Professor years ago, when I could no longer teach you anything you didn't already know. Call me Severus."

Severus could have sworn he saw a small twinkle in her eye as she grinned cheekily at him. A small dimple appeared on her right cheek and his hand tingled with the desire to run his fingers across it.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

><p>As the lights in the Great Hall lowered, Hermione glanced over the crowd. All of the first and second year students from all of the houses had come out of curiosity and excitement at another movie showing so soon after the last. Present from the third year students and up were mostly girls, although Hermione was glad to see both Harry and Ron, with put-upon looks on their faces, being drug to their seats by a tenacious Ginny. Hermione smiled and waved at her friends, and grinned as they waved back. She performed the projection spell over the pensieve and moved to her chair. In an effort to keep the film showings alive and possibly a future tradition, she had taught the incantation and wand movement, along with how to remove a memory to a muggleborn fifth year Hufflepuff prefect who had been fascinated by the entire process, and owned an extensive film collection.<p>

She made herself comfortable in her chair, sitting as close to the Professor…Severus, as she dared. She imagined she could feel the body heat coming off of his arm, and if she moved her hand just so, it would be settled over his. She gave herself a mental slap and sighed internally. There was no way that the man next to her, who she realized she had come to fancy, would ever feel the same way about one of his most swotty students.

She had been flabbergasted when he'd given her carte blanche to use his given name, as it showed he no longer really thought of her as a student. She supposed that was a good thing, as they would be in each other's company quite a bit in the next few years. She'd been trying to keep the information close to the vest that she had agreed to take on a Charms apprenticeship with Professor Flitwick, and would have to stay at the castle during her internship. It was nice to know that the man she was falling in love with at least respected her in some way.

Hermione snuck a peek at the man in question and smiled when she found him completely enthralled by the tale. He would occasionally glance over the students, eyes sharp for any sign of troublemaking. But, all of the assembled audience seemed just as taken in as he, including the boys, which had been a major concern when the tone of the film was established, and his eyes would snap back to the screen.

* * *

><p>While Severus was certainly interested in the story and the overall tone of Disney's romanticized version of the Little Mermaid, he wasn't completely oblivious to his companion's attentions. As sneaky as she tried to be about them, he had been a spy for years, and had learned to read body language rather well. When she'd scooted her chair close to his and made herself comfortable, his traitorous stomach had turned over and for a minute he'd thought he might be ill. As soon as the lights dimmed and they couldn't see each other entirely, his bodily functions had calmed and he'd become quite interested in the tale, along with the students.<p>

While the drawings were hardly a proper representation of Merpeople, he could see how this movie would appeal to the masses, and certainly to those that dared to call themselves romantics. He briefly wondered if Hermione had ever been to the coast of Denmark to see the statue of the actual mermaid the story was about, which was promptly followed by the question of whether or not she would accompany him. He grimaced as he realized he was turning into a lovesick fool, and only hoped that the darkness of the room covered any expressions crossing his face lest he lose his reputation with his students. As another song started, he felt a warm presence on top of his hand and looked down to find Hermione's hand resting tensely on top of his, as if she was waiting for him to brush her away. He smirked at the gesture, she was certainly an impertinent, cheeky little thing. He fancied her all the more for it. As he debated whether to move his hand or turn it over, the lyrics wormed their way into his head, and he found himself leaning toward her.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=tXmLRHnoSAs

As the song ended, his eyes opened and he met her gaze. It had been the soft brushing of lips, but it was enough to send sparks straight to his groin. He knew he would have another date with his right hand this evening. As for the moment, there would have to be an explanation, and he went about arranging the meeting the only way to not raise suspicions.

"Meet me in my office tomorrow evening, Hermione, and we will discuss…this. If anyone asks, you have detention."

She gave a passable imitation of his signature raised brow and nodded in reply before turning back to the screen. At some point, their hands had become intertwined under the table.

* * *

><p>Years later, when asked how she and Severus had discovered their feelings for each other, she would claim she suffered from a bout of temporary insanity. For, as far as she was concerned, it was a mixture of his closeness and being caught up in the moment. Knowing the movie by heart, and having read the original book, Hermione was slightly disinterested in the screen and had taken to attempting to slyly observe her neighbor. One booted foot rested on top of the other, and his hand was on the bent knee. He looked more relaxed than he had in years, and Hermione had the crazy notion that she wanted to know if he hands were warm or not, so she'd placed her hand on top of his, not knowing what to expect. Honestly, she expected him to snarl at her and yank his hand back.<p>

She certainly didn't expect him to glance at their hands, make no motion, then move his gaze back to the screen. She really didn't expect him to cock his head to the side for a moment as if lost in thought then lean toward her. Her body took over from there, her eyes closing of their own accord; she leaned toward him also, gasping slightly when his lips touched hers.

It was a chaste kiss, lasting no more than a few seconds, but that one small gesture sent shockwaves through her brain and body, finishing at her core. If one small kiss could have that effect, what else could the man do? Her brain promptly started supplying the naughtiest images, and she rubbed her thighs together in an attempt to ease the tingling that had begun in her nether regions. He leaned over again, and for a crazy moment she thought he was going to snog her again, but he whispered something in her ear, causing her to almost moan. Oh gods, but the man's voice was like silk rubbing against her. Didn't he have any idea the affect he was having on her? She assumed not, as he sat up straight again, although she did notice that their hands were now both on top of his knee, intertwined under the table. Hermione glanced across the room at the students and noticed them all still captivated by the film save two: Ginny Weasley smiled and gave her a thumbs up while Harry simply shook his head and shrugged to say, "If you're happy, then I'm happy."

* * *

><p>The following afternoon, Hermione found herself hardly able to focus on anything except her meeting, er, detention with Severus. Every time she recalled his breath on the shell of her ear, her overactive imagination would conjure up the naughtiest images it could. Hermione, thankful that the school was mostly empty due to the holiday, took advantage of the alone time to relieve some of her pent up anxiety. She had barely shut, locked and cast a silencing spell on the door to her room when she leaned back against the cool wood, hiked her skirt up and yanked the crotch of her knickers aside without fanfare. She found herself already wet from her fantasies, and her finger found her clit already engorged and throbbing. She came within a few seconds, and stumbled, breathless, to her bed, and promptly fell asleep.<p>

That's how, three hours later, Hermione came to be running and top speed down the Dungeon corridor toward Severus' office, hair mussed and cheeks red from sleep. It wouldn't do to have a future apprentice be late for any appointment, even if it was being called a detention.

Hermione stopped before his office door, bent over, panting and clutching a stitch in her side. It was this sight that greeted Severus as he flung the door open to see what the racket in the corridor was all about, and perhaps yell at some dunderheads for running indoors. He gave Hermione a once-over, groaning inwardly at the delicious way her hair was mussed and her flushed face. The errant thought that she looked like she had just been rode well made it's way into his mind, and he derailed that train of thought quickly before it could show on his face. Hermione was, unfortunately, still catching her breath, and too distracted to notice the flash of lust in his eyes.

"Come in, Miss Granger, so we can discuss your punishment. Ten points from Gryffindor for tardiness."

Simply rolling her eyes at his silly House grudge, she followed him through his office and into his private quarters. Having never been in the quarters of a live-in professor before, Hermione was slightly surprised by the Spartan-like quality of the furniture. There were two overstuffed wingback chairs in front of the fireplace, and a table off in the corner with a decanter on it. Every other inch of affordable space seemed to be covered in bookshelves, each crammed with what looked like a centuries worth of collecting. There were also two doors leading into other room, which Hermione assumed to be Severus' bedroom and a potions' lab.

Severus caught her hungrily eyeing his book collection and chuckled deeply, catching her attention. "You'll get your chance to search all you want, but for the moment we need to address the other issue at hand."

"You're right," Hermione replied as she sat in one of the chairs, glad that it was actually very warm and comfortable. Severus reclined in the other, and she noticed that he was again in informal attire: black slacks and a whine cotton button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Hermione took in his arms, the black hair that covered the spider-like scars that ran across them, courtesy of the Cruciatus curse. She was more than familiar with the scars left behind by that particular foul incantation. Hermione took a deep breath before speaking.

"I will not, I cannot, go about pretending that I don't fancy you. I don't think that way, and I'm not a good liar. I am, however, good at keeping secrets, and I'm also patient. If I have to wait, I will. However, I feel like I should be honest about my feelings for you. So, there you go, and here we are."

Severus held back an insane desire to laugh. At least he didn't have to worry about her not reciprocating her feelings, she was worried about him! Instead of trying to vocalize his thoughts, he simply stood up and offered her his hand. She glanced warily at him, and took it. When she did, he pulled her bodily to him, and pressed his lips gently to hers.

The kiss took Hermione by surprise, as she had been expecting him to laugh at her, call her a silly chit and send her on her way. She gasped, and Severus took the opportunity to deepen the connection, and after a few seconds she replied in kind. Her hands began to wander, slowly at first, up his arms, then to the corded muscles in his shoulders. As they spun awkwardly through across the floor towards the bedroom, Hermione began to slowly unbutton his shirt, revealing a strong, pale chest covered in thick, black hair.

Severus pulled himself away from her just long enough to remove his shirt completely, and take in her appearance. Her hair was even more mussed, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen and her eyes half-lidded and sparkling with a mixture of lust and mischievousness.

"You know we're going to have to discuss this relationship eventually," Severus muttered as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward his bed. As he turned her to lay her on his bed, she grinned as she pulled her shirt off and replied,

"Less talk, more snog, Severus."

Severus let out a legitimate laugh at this and leaned forward to kiss the little chit. He briefly kissed her mouth, then began working his way down her neck, to her collar bone. When he reached her pulse point, he stopped briefly and suckled, causing her back to arch, and her to push her breasts into his chest.

As the pair fell backwards, Hermione whispered a charm and Severus suddenly found himself naked. Goose pimples rose on his arse as the dungeon's cold air rushed across it, and he looked down at Hermione. She had the nerve to grin at him, then grind her hips into his, causing his loins to stir and what was left of the blood in his brain to rush south. As he grabbed his cock and lined it up with her entrance, a sudden worry flitted across his brain.

"Hermione, Love, have you ever…" Severus could have sworn he heard her giggle in response before replying.

"No, I'm not a virgin. Apparently, Fred Weasley is good for more than pulling pranks."

Severus shrugged this off, it could have been Ronald after all. At least the twins had some activity going on in their carrot-tops. With that worry eased, Severus continued with the matter at hand, pushing himself slowly into her heated core. Hermione pushed forward with her hips impatiently, stopping only when he hissed at her,

"Stop that, Witch, or I won't last long. It's been some time."

Hermione simply moaned in reply, causing his cock to throb again. He slowly worked his way into her, the warmth surrounding him like a blanket. When his balls finally hit her bum, he took a deep breath, steadying himself. Wanting her to enjoy herself fully, Severus reached between them, and using her juices as lubricant, squeezed her clit between two fingers until she was writhing and moaning beneath him. When her orgasm hit her fully, and her muscles began contracting around his dick, he pulled her right leg onto his shoulder and began to pound into her in earnest. Hermione screamed out her continued orgasm, and it was only a few minutes before Severus felt the familiar sensation in his abdomen and his balls drew up. He let out a soft moan as he emptied himself in her and felt himself go flaccid. Giving Hermione one last soft kiss, he pulled out of her, and cleaned both of them with a mild cleansing charm, then whispered a contraception charm. As he lay down, he pulled her to him, and covered them both up. Severus knew that she would have to sneak out early in the morning to give the appearance of maintaining an appropriate student-teacher relationship, but for now they would simply sleep.

_Two Months Later_

"Hermione Granger."

As Hermione made her way up the makeshift stage on the castle grounds to receive her diploma, she glanced over the crowd. Clapping enthusiastically in the front two rows was a large group of fiery red hair, and one of the twins let out a loud whoop. Minerva grimaced at this as Hermione grinned and shrugged as she shook the Headmistress' hand. As she made her way down the row of professors, shaking hands and exchanging short greetings, she finally made her way to the man at the end. He was standing with his arms behind his back, a slight grimace on his face, as if he had no enjoyment in the festivities.

"Are you going to shake my hand and wish me well, Professor?" Hermione asked as she stood before him, grinning cheekily.

"No, I will not, Miss Granger." He replied haughtily, a spark of playfulness dancing in his eyes.

"Whatever shall we do, Professor? You refuse to greet me and I refuse to move until you do so. It seems we are at an impasse." Hermione replied as she turned to glance over her shoulder at the line of graduates that had formed behind her on the stage, who were listening to their conversation avidly.

"Yes, whatever shall we do about this?" Severus asked as he lowered his arms to his sides, his fingers twitching a bit.

"Indeed, what-" Hermione's reply was cut off by his mouth on hers and his finger buried in her hair. She vaguely heard the brief silence and gasps of the crowd, followed by a loud shout of glee. The thought that she was going to get Fred Weasley flittered across her brain before it blessedly went blank, and there was nothing in her mind but Severus.


End file.
